


Turncoat A.U. Part 2

by ams75



Series: Turncoat A.U. [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Gen, RipFic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 09:50:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11918349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ams75/pseuds/ams75
Summary: What happens when a brainwashed Captain Rip Hunter steals the Waverider? Not what he expected.Part 1 is here, in case I messed up the series tag:  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11817210





	Turncoat A.U. Part 2

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I suck at titles, if anyone has a suggestion for a better title, please let me know!
> 
> See notes at end for more.

He had forgotten how much Gideon liked to nag him.  He had restored power to the ship and hurried quickly to the pilot's chair.  Once he was in the timestream, he could search at leisure for his fragment of the Spear of Destiny.  
  
"Captain Hunter, you are required to go to the med bay so you may be properly examined."  
  
He ran through the ship.  "Captain Hunter, I cannot reach Professor Stein."  
  
For damned good reason.  
  
"I'll go in a minute," he lied as he skidded to a stop beside the chair.  Once they had lifted, he would turn her off.  He sat down and lowered the safety bar over his shoulders so he would stay in place in case of turbulence or worse.  
  
"Nor do I sense the presence of Captain Lance," Gideon said.  
  
"Does that *really* matter?" he asked, irritated.  
  
"Yes," Gideon said quietly.  
  
When had she apparently started to form an attachment to anyone else?  
  
"I thought you'd welcome it being just the two of us again," he said as he began the lift off sequence.  What was that override code? Spaniel--  
  
"You are not yourself, Captain."  
  
He snorted.  "Who else would I be?" The engines fired up, they began their ascent.  
  
Sadly, Gideon said, "I do not know."  
  
His fingers flew over the control board, the sooner they left Earth's atmosphere, the quicker he could find somewhere to basically hover and go look thoroughly for his piece of the Spear of Destiny.  "Nonsense, Gideon," he said, scoffing at the very notion of not being himself.  He had never been more himself! Mr. Thawne had done him a tremendous favour.  
  
"Where is the team?"  
  
They exited the atmosphere and the darkness of space enveloped them.  Well, darkness except where light still existed.  The sun was easily seen, up here.  "Spaniel.  Broad--"  
  
He never had the chance to utter the third word as darkness claimed him.  When the hell had the pilot's chair been rigged to knock out the person flying the ship?  
  
Gideon regretted the necessity of shutting her Captain down but he hadn't been acting like himself and no-one was around to give her orders.  She said to his unconscious body, "I'm sorry, Captain and I know how strongly you oppose this but I must save you."  She concentrated hard on their connection, searching for the essence of her Captain.  
  
He burned faintly inside his mind and she followed the glow, diving towards his essence.  
  
When she was aware again, she was in almost complete darkness.  "Captain?" she whispered.  She didn't hear anything but did feel a slight tug forward.  Was it a trap? Possibly.  Did she have another way of finding him at the moment? Not really.  She moved forward slowly, feeling slightly annoyed at having a body.  In her proper form, she could have already found her captain.  Everything seemed dulled, muted.  How did humans live this way?  
  
Keeping an eye out for her captain and whatever else might be waiting, she moved slowly.  If this was a twisted version of the _Waverider_ , then perhaps he was in the brig.  If not, then she would have to search every room.  She ducked more into the shadows when she heard footsteps.  She watched as a Redcoat, a Centurion, a Union and then a Confederate soldier marched by, followed by several more she didn't bother to identify.  The information wouldn't aid her in locating him, therefore it was useless.  She waited a few minutes after the last one's footsteps faded away then continued on her way.  
  
**********  
  
Captain Rip Hunter stood huddled in the far corner of the brig, fiery anger and mind numbing fear battling for supremacy.  He was very much afraid that the fear was going to win out.  He had no idea how long he had been standing there for but knew it must have been far too long.  He was all alone but better that than having his captors near him.  He had no idea why Mr. Jackson, Doctor Palmer and Miss Lance had turned on him but they had, and ferociously.  He'd been dragged through the ship and thrown unceremoniously into this cell, locked in and then left alone.  
  
He could feel his memories slowly evaporating and that worried him the most.  Would he, could he even exist without his memories? Blindly, he forced his way to the door.  He had to get out of here somehow!  
  
A pity there was nothing as obliging as a doorknob on this side of the clear partition.  He sagged downwards, despair threatening to overwhelm him once more.  No! He was Captain Rip Hunter of the.. the... _Waverider_ and he never surrendered! Time was meaningless here and he attempted to retain his memories, rattling off facts he remembered under his breath.  "Michael, I was called Michael at one time.  Time Master... Time Master..."  He could clearly picture the face but the name eluded him.  "The Time Master brought me to Mother."  He smiled slightly as he remembered her.  She was a taskmaster to be sure but there was no shortage of love, either.  She would frequently catch him in a hug, drop a kiss on the top of his head then send him on his way, be it to do his schoolwork, do his chores, help out in the kitchen and when he was older, help with the homework when he had finished his.  
  
Footsteps broke his reverie.  "Show yourself!" Fear made the words come out harshly.  
  
"As you wish, Captain."  A woman walked into view and somehow she looked familiar, yet not.  
  
Her name was on the tip of his tongue.  "G-- Gi--" No, not soft like ginger.  Hard.  Stubborn.  Exasperating.  Irritating.  Caring.  Not human.  "Gideon!" he exclaimed triumphantly.  
  
"Yes, Captain," she said with a smile but her eyes were sad.  She must have noticed how hard it had been to remember her name.  "We need to get out of here."  She opened the door and he rushed out, quickly wrapping his arms around her and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Where are we?" He kept his voice low, matching hers.  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
"It looks like the _Waverider_ , yet not."  
  
"Correct, Captain."  
  
"If it isn't the ship then where are we?"  
  
"It's better if you can answer that for yourself."  
  
"Probably, Gideon, but I'm having a few problems with my memory."  He hadn't meant to sound so bitter.  She tightened the embrace before releasing him.  
  
"Come on, we have to find a way out for you," she whispered.  
  
"From where?" He still didn't know exactly where he was but reluctantly allowed her to lead the way.  
  
"Here, of course," she said quietly, which was singularly unhelpful to him.  
  
"Gideon!" With great effort, he managed to say her name forcefully without shouting but only just.  
  
"Do you trust me?" she whispered, hoping to keep moving.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She put a finger to her unfamiliar lips in a universal signal for quiet and held his hand as she crept forward.  It was move with her or stay put and he didn't fancy the latter.  Exasperated, scared, fearful, still he knew she'd never harm him and always had his best interests in mind.  He moved.  
  
Whenever they heard anyone else, instinctively they moved deeply into the shadows, trying to become one with them.  
  
The ship was wrong.  It was never meant to be dark like this.  Even the emergency lighting provided a brighter glow than this when he'd had to use it.  She'd said this was the _Waverider_ , yet not.  What could that mean? He was tempted to just stop and greet whoever came by next, find out just what was happening, but he could feel the tension in Gideon's body and knew she was scared.  He couldn't recall her ever being scared before.  
  
They neared the bridge.  He took the time to study her, as if it was the first time he had ever done that.  Shorter than he was, long dark hair, beautiful as he knew she would be... now why did he know that? He couldn't remember seeing her like this before.  
  
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize at first that their physical connection had been broken.  "Gideon!" he yelled, as he saw she had been snatched from him.  She might have answered but the knife against her throat was probably a deterrent.  
  
The woman with the longish blond hair smiled nastily.  "Want your playmate? Get back to the brig!" The tip of the knife dug in slightly and Gideon gasped.  
  
"Don't you dare!" Even though there was no possible way to reach her, he reached out to grab the knife... and it flew through the air, landing with a solid thunk on the deck of the ship.  
  
"You're going to regret that," the woman said flatly as she dove for the knife.  Still too far to reach her, nevertheless he tried to push her--  
  
\--and she flew past the knife, seemed to merge with the wall for a moment then flew out of the ship.  Rip stopped dead, staring at his hands in disbelief.  Gideon reached him a couple of seconds later and her touch snapped him out of his daze.  He glanced at his hands, then back at Gideon.  "You're not real, are you."  
  
"Not in the sense you mean," she said sadly.  "But we are connected."  
  
"None of this is real," he whispered.  
  
"No, Captain.  You must leave now."  
  
Not hearing her he continued, "This is all inside my mind."  He stared at her, shocked.  
  
They didn't have time for this.  There was only one advantage to having a human body at this moment and she used it.  She stretched upwards, caught her Captain around the neck with her arms, with one hand on the back of his head and kissed him lightly.  After a brief hesitation, he responded and kissed her back.  Aware of the potential danger, she broke off the kiss.  "You must leave while you can, Captain."  
  
"But you can't."  
  
"I'm afraid not, but I'll always be here.  We're connected."  
  
"What if I'd rather stay with you?"  
  
"You'd die."  
  
"I'm willing to take that chance."  
  
She pushed him away.  "This ship is already coming apart.  You won't survive.  Leave now, Captain."  
  
"I don't want to."  He closed the distance between them and kissed her again.  It was so much more than he had ever dared to entertain in his thoughts.  Reluctantly, he released her.  "But as ever, you're right."  They almost fell as a shockwave hit the ship and shuddered through them.  "Thank you, Gideon."  
  
She smiled at him as she gently pushed him as he reached up and out--  
  
When he came to, he was as sprawled in the pilot's chair as the safety bar allowed.  "Gideon!"  
  
"I'm here, Captain."  
  
"You always are," he said fondly, then stopped.  Did she know about their kiss?  
  
Before he could ask, memories began to flood into his mind.  Hurriedly he pushed up the bar as he fought the nausea down.  Once free of the bar, he bolted to the bathroom, the last time he was on the _Waverider_ crashing down on him.  The bile rose and filled his throat and he barely made it to the toilet.  
  
It didn't take long to finish, especially since he couldn't remember the last time he ate.  Shakily, he stood up and gazed into the mirror, before flinching away.  
  
"Captain?" Gideon sounded concerned.  
  
Once his breathing was under control he said, "They're dead, Gideon.  Our team is dead."  He turned away from the mirror and slinked out of the bathroom.  "I murdered them."  
  
**********  
  
"Captain!" She had lost track, which was very unlike her, of how many times she had entreated her captain to speak.  
  
He poured another drink and immediately tossed it down his throat, to join the blaze inside.  
  
"Captain! Killing yourself will not help!" she said sharply.  
  
He knew that, knew she was right, yet he couldn't bring himself to care.  
  
"There's still time to make this right," she said quietly.  
  
"Nothing can make this right, Gideon! I shot Miss Lance in cold blood, I murdered Mr. Rory and General Washington, I hunted down and murdered the rest of the team."  He didn't deserve to include himself with them after what he had done.  
  
"We can go back and stop most of it from happening."  
  
"And shred the timeline even more?" Rip scoffed.  
  
"Or put it right and allow the others to continue on with our mission."  
  
He stopped pouring his next drink as the enormity of her statement filled him.  "You know what you're suggesting."  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.  "You're willing to become a time aberration and fade out of existence?" He had to say the words if only for himself.  Dread filled him yet, impossibly, hope squeezed in there too.  "Chance of success to manipulate the timeline and restore the team?"  
  
"Ninety per cent if you immediately cease drinking.  Twelve percent if you don't," Gideon said tartly.  
  
A small chuckle escaped.  "Twelve? As high as that?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"I don't deserve you, Gideon," he said quietly as he stood up, "but I'm grateful to, nonetheless."  He walked out and off the bridge, heading towards the fabricator room.  "Gideon, the pilot's chair isn't really wired for an electrical charge, is it?"  
  
"No, Captain."  She sounded insulted.  
  
"How did you manage to knock me out?"  
  
"Our bond," she said simply.  
  
When she didn't say anything else, he said, "I wasn't aware that was a possibility.  Keeping secrets, Gideon?" He was well aware of his hypocrisy.  
  
"No, you wouldn't have been told.  Only in the direst of circumstances could an A.I. attempt to override her, or his, captain.  This fit the parameters."  
  
"I agree, it did.  I would have turned you off had I realized you could have stopped me," he said softly.  
  
"Welcome home, Captain."  
  
"For a short time, yes."  He reached the room and headed in, emerging moments later with the wig and hat placed on his head.  "I propose we land after their ship has been disabled so as to ensure that we aren't caught up in the EMP blast zone.  Unfortunately, that means Miss Lance will still be shot."  He avoided saying by him but of course Gideon knew.  "We'll collect the two new members of the team after we've knocked them out, the less I'm observed, the better it is for the timeline."  He continued thinking out loud as he strode towards the bridge.  "We'll then knock everybody out and leave my still brainwashed self as a present to the team, they'll have to figure out how to save him."  He swerved to enter his work area and walked over to his desk.  He pulled out a blank sheet of paper, picked up a pen then after a moment' hesitation, switched the pen to his left hand and carefully printed several words.  He folded it and placed it inside his pocket then headed to the pilot's chair, for one of the last times he'd have the pleasure of flying this ship.  
  
*********  
  
The first part of the plan went without a hitch.  Mr. Heywood and Miss Jiwe were intercepted and knocked out and Rip had carried each aboard the _Waverider_ and into the med bay and laid them on a chair each.  He hooked them up so Gideon could monitor their vital signs and, if need be, sedate them again.  
  
Once they were secured, Rip flew the ship closer to the original _Waveride_ r so he would have less ground to cover as he carried out his plan.  
  
********  
  
**'Wake up, I need your help!' Rip said urgently as he shook Mr. Heywood awake.  Miss Jiwe, when he glanced back for a moment, was groaning and struggling to sit up.  Reassured, he turned back to his cargo.**  
  
**'What the hell? Who--? You're Rip Hunter!' Nate scrambled back, trying to present a smaller target.**  
  
**Rip sighed.  He knew this was going to be difficult and they didn't have much time.  'Yes, farther along my timeline than the one outside, trying to break into the _Waverider_!'  He stiffened as he felt something jab his back, possibly a revolver.  'Trust me, the enemy is out there! If we do not stop your Rip Hunter, the end result will be catastrophic, I assure you!'**  
  
**'Why should we believe you?' Amaya demanded.**  
  
**'Possibly because you're alive, unharmed and aren't in restraints, either of you?'**  
  
**'Maybe you're trying to trick us,' Nate sad.**  
  
**Exasperated, Rip said, 'Gideon! Please confirm I am in my right mind and am indeed trying to help them!'**  
  
**'Captain, I regret to report that the other _Waverider_ has been boarded.'**  
  
Rip glanced down at Dr. Nate Heywood and Miss Amaya Jiwe, who slept on.  The conversation had only been in his head.  If something has to be done right, best to do it oneself.  "Gideon! Prepare to stun!"  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"Send them all to sleep as soon as you have a clear shot."  
  
"Of course."  She sounded hurt, as if he had doubted her.  
  
"Thank you, Gideon, I knew I could count on you."  He hurried out of the med bay and down to the cargo hold.  He needed quite a lot of rope and gags would be helpful.  
  
"Approaching target now," she said.  
  
Worried, he couldn't help but ask, "We're still cloaked?"  
  
"Of course!" Gideon sounded scandalized; as if she would allow such a thing and drop their shields!  
  
"Forgive me."  
  
"Firing in five, four, three," Rip grabbed tightly onto a bar in the wall in preparation, "two, one.  Fire!"  
  
The ship shuddered and shook and he almost lost his grip before all became smooth again.  "The ropes and gags you'll need are in the clothes replicator room."  
  
"What would I do without you?" Rip murmured as he ran to said room.  He didn't have much time.  
  
"I'm sure I don't know," Gideon said, trying to sound huffy but he knew he had succeeded in mollifying her.  
  
"In case I haven't thanked you properly yet," he said and paused, in case she want to speak.  Nothing, so he continued, "You saved my life and I'm deeply grateful to have this opportunity to correct my actions."  He fully expected they would fade out of existence after the new timeline took hold and cemented into place.  
  
"It was, is and will always be an honour to serve you, Captain," Gideon said quietly with none of her usual sass.  
  
He found he had to clear his throat in order to speak, what that lump was doing there, he'd never know.  "Likewise, Gideon."  He gathered up the ropes and shouldered them, then collected the gags.  
  
On his way out he ordered, "Should something go wrong, allow Dr. Heywood and Miss Jiwe to exit the ship and salvage whatever may be possible.  Until then, keep them lightly sedated."  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"Wish me luck," he said, as he stepped outside.  
  
"Good luck, Captain," Gideon said to the almost empty ship.  
  
Pausing only to ensure the _Waverider_ remained cloaked, he ran across to the bodies lying outside the other _Waverider_.  His first objective was to truss up his still evil self, so that he wouldn't live through the same events.  
  
**Oh, God, where was he?**  
  
**He searched quickly and thoroughly for his other self, mentally noting how soundly asleep the Redcoats were.  Tie them together and let the Legends deal with them was his plan but it wouldn't work unless--**  
  
**There!**  
  
**Was that possibly him?**  
  
**Rip scrambled closer, heart pounding.  He wasn't expecting the right hook and flew backwards, as his younger self launched himself at him.  'Bollocks.'**  
  
**Determination lit up his younger self's eyes as he attacked again.  'You're weak, self-righteous, you couldn't even save your family!' He hurled himself at the prone Rip, who rolled hard to the side, grappling for the laser revolver.  He had a queasy feeling it wouldn't work.**  
  
**He was barely on his knees when his younger self bowled him over.  He could cry 'You're not in your right mind!' but his younger self already knew that and didn't care.  Didn't care about anything at all, in fact.  All he was focussed on was retrieving his piece of the Spear.**  
  
**'Thawne will never keep any promise he made to you and you know why,' Rip growled.  'What's your plan to hold onto the Spear once it's been assembled? He'll never allow it out of his sight.'**  
  
**'I'm sure I'll come up with something.' Rip narrowly missed a crack at the back of his head.  Straining, he fingered the knife he carried.  It slipped and he hoped it was only sweat that made the metal slick.**  
  
**With his other hand and legs, he bucked as hard as he could, hoping for some slight leverage but the other's grip remained tight.**  
  
****************  
  
**The next Rip saw, Miss Lance stood above him and when he tried to move, realized he had been tied to a chair and gagged.  He turned his head and saw his other self in the same position.  He looked back and up at Miss Lance, willing her to realize he was the one in his right mind.**  
  
*****************  
  
**'Miss Lance,' Rip said, weariness filling the crisp, English accented bit off words she was used to.  'How many of the team have seen me?'**  
  
**When she hesitated, he added, 'I need to know if this manipulation of the timeline can be salvaged.'**

  
**'Only Mick.  Everyone else is busy checking the ship.  He brought you, both of you, here.'**  
  
**'I could really use a drink.'  He dropped his eyes, 'Yes, well out of order, I know.'  He was surprised when the ropes fell from his wrists.**  
  
**'One drink, and you tell me what the hell is going on.  Try anything, and I'll kick your ass and you'll never be let out of the brig again.'**  
  
**'Understood.'  She nodded and he slowly stood up, careful not to make any sudden movements.  'My-- the parlour?'**  
  
**'Okay.  Lead the way, then sit in your chair and keep your hands under your thighs.  I'll pour the drink.'**  
  
**'Agreed.'  As he walked through the familiar corridors he said, 'The less people know I'm here, the more salvageable this is.  Ask Gideon to alert you if anyone comes near us.'**  
  
**'Gideon?'**  
  
**'Yes, Captain Lance?"**  
  
**'You heard what Rip said?'**  
  
**'Indeed I did.'**  
  
**'Does it make sense to you?'**  
  
**'Yes, it does.  It seems Captain Hunter is trying to do something to the timeline.'**  
  
**'Do it.  Make sure no-one comes near the parlour or the bridge until I say so.'**  
  
**'I will.'**  
  
**Rip walked into what he'd considered his office, his study, his little corner away from everyone.  He chose a chair by the table and sat down as instructed.  He watched as Sara poured him exactly one finger of whiskey and placed the glass in front of him.  Moving out of reach she said, 'You may remove one hand to drink, you will place your hand under you when you have finished.'**  
  
**'Thank you.'  He sighed, relaxed infinitesimally but didn't make any move to take the glass.  'Where do you want me to start?'**  
  
**'How about why you shot me?'**  
  
**He flinched and she seemed to take pleasure in that.  'Mr. Thawne ordered me to kill you all, so I did.  That was meant to kill you.'**  
  
**'I see.'**  
  
**'After I was taken, he and his associates tortured me, found where I had stored my memories and in returning them, twisted them.  That's where your Rip,' he nodded outside the parlour, 'is right now.  You, all of you, are the enemy.  I managed to break into the _Waverider_ and hunted down and killed each and every one of you.  I left your bodies outside for your two newest members to find, and lifted off in the _Waverider_.  It would be just a matter of time until I found my segment of the Spear of Destiny, so I thought.  Gideon had other plans.  She realized I wasn't myself and found a way around the brainwashing.'  Parched, he removed one hand from under his thigh and slowly, deliberately, reached for the glass.  When she made no move to stop him, he lifted it up and took a small sip, then placed the glass back on the table and sat on his hand again.  'When I woke up, Gideon and I had a talk and she agreed that couldn't be left as the timeline, so we travelled back to change it.  Dr. Heywood and Miss Jiwe are currently in the med bay there, sedated.  My plan was to knock out your Rip, leave him as a present for you to find, and Gideon, the _Waverider_ and I would fade out of existence.'**  
  
**'But something went wrong.'**  
  
**'Yes.  Despite our best efforts, your Rip was still awake although everyone else had been knocked out.  I found him and we were fighting and I blacked out.  I woke up here.'**  
  
**'Why should I believe you?'**  
  
**'Because I'm not currently trying to kill you? Gideon, confirm the presence of a cloaked second _Waverider_ nearby.'**  
  
**They paused and waited.  'Confirmed.  Another _Waverider_ is cloaked but in the area.'**  
  
**'It's possible my plan is still salvageable.  You and Mr. Rory would have to take a small amount of the amnesia pill to forget I was ever here.  We place my unconscious,  still brainwashed self, outside the ship, leave him tied up and gagged.  Miss Jiwe and Dr. Heywood haven't seen me, so we place them near your gift wrapped present.  I will, hopefully, return to my _Waverider_ without being seen.  When they wake up, my note saying not to take the gag away will be prominently placed.  If given a chance, he can override Gideon and force her to crash the ship, or trap you in your rooms as he roams freely.  You won't remember any of this but Gideon will.  She can, and will, make suggestions how he can be deprogrammed.  As this new timeline cements, my _Waverider_ , Gideon and I will fade away.'**  
  
********  
  
Wait, what? He felt cold, and when he looked around, Miss Lance had disappeared.  "Gideon?" Rip called quietly.  He wasn't on the _Waverider_.  There was no comforting hum of the ship's systems at work, nor was he inside anywhere.  He appeared to be outside.  What the bloody hell was going on? "How long since I left the ship?"  
  
"Three minutes, twenty-seven seconds Captain."  
  
Stunned, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure?" Before she could answer he said,  "I apologize, Gideon, of course you are."  
  
"What's wrong, Captain?"  
  
"We may have a bit of a problem."  He couldn't help but admit it.  "I'm experiencing time distortion."  
  
"Time distortion?" she asked, horrified.  
  
"Yes.  Twice, I've experienced events which haven't happened but at the time, was convinced it was real.  Is it possible for you to monitor me?"  
  
"I shall try."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Before he could think better of it, he said, "Gideon, recalculate our odds of success."  
  
He covered the ground methodically, searching for his other self.  Running hither and yon, crisscrossing his path led to far too much chance for error.  He mentally divided the ground into a grid, then smaller ones and began to canvass the area.  
  
He was halfway through his search when he realized Gideon hadn't answered him.  "That bad?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," she said glumly.  
  
Oh dear.  This was rather a spanner in the works.  "Think it would help to stay in contact more frequently?" Maybe that would keep him grounded in reality.  
  
"I don't know, Captain."  
  
"I see."  He finished another small grid.  "Let's try it."  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
He wracked his brain, trying to think of something to talk about.  Unfortunately, everything seemed to feel like it wouldn't be worth having the conversation, because they would fade out of existence, there would be nothing put to use.  Maybe Gideon sensed his mood because she said, "I could fill you in on all the good gossip you missed."  
  
He tutted but she knew that that meant go ahead, he wouldn't stop her so she began with her own waking up and as he continued his search, told him about the new team members and how they had ended up on the ship.  "A time detective? Really? How extraordinary!" he exclaimed and Gideon didn't need a sarcasm detector to realize such had been deployed.  
  
"Miss Jiwe wasn't entirely welcomed at first," Gideon said and Rip grunted to let her know he'd heard her.  
  
"Mmmm."  He bent closer to the ground to get a better look at the unconscious bodies lying there, motionless.  
  
"She thought the team, or someone on it, had killed Rex Tyler."  
  
"You don't say."  One of the bodies was lying face down.  It looked familiar, too familiar even from this angle.  He pulled out a small torch and flicked it on.  Yes, there was the hat and the white wig and the rather prominent proboscis.  He pulled out his stun gun and fired it once; he was taking no chances that his brainwashed self would wake up and put up a struggle.  
  
"First item of our mission accomplished, Gideon," he said quietly.  
  
"Excellent news."  
  
If he had been here then the rope must be... he stood up and oriented himself, using the uncloaked _Waverider_ as a guidepost.  There.  He walked over and held his breath.  He could make out the limp figures of his team mates and General Washington.  He hadn't been too late, had he? This wasn't all for nought? He crouched down beside them and checked for their pulses, relieved when he found all three.  He frowned as he lightly touched the wound on Miss Lance and his fingertips came away sticky with blood.  "Chance of failure if I wake up this Gideon and have her heal Miss Lance?" he asked.  
  
"Rather high, I'm afraid."  
  
"And if I have you do it?"  
  
"The same.  They would strongly suspect your existence."  
  
"Bollocks.  I'm not sure she'll survive much longer without medical treatment."  
  
"Have you secured your other self?"  
  
Trust Gideon to remind him of important matters.  He picked up some snow to wipe the blood off his fingers.  "Not yet."  Before he moved off to do just that, he pulled out a knife and cut the three of them free.  They would need to get Sara into med bay in a hurry.  He gathered the now loose rope into his arms and hurried back.  
  
"Gideon," he said, when he didn't see the unconscious body where he'd left it.  "Gideon!" he repeated with a hiss when there was no answer forthcoming.  "I don't have time for this," he said sharply.  
  
**'Time for what? Oh, you think this isn't real? It most assuredly is.'  Somehow, even after being knocked out a second time, his other self stood there, taunting him.**  
  
**'Gideon!'**  
  
**'Having trouble raising her? Perhaps she doesn't love you anymore.  Perhaps she found somebody better, someone who doesn't get bogged down with all your... shortcomings.'**  
  
**This wasn't real, this couldn't be real.  It must be another time distortion.  He seemed to hear a mocking laugh and a voice say sardonically, as long as you're sure.  If not, you're about to end up very dead.**  
  
**'Gideon, tell the "captain" what you told me.'**  
  
**'It will be my pleasure,' she purred.**  
  
**No, this wasn't happening, this... wretch could not win over his Gideon!**  
  
**'Gideon!'**  
  
"Captain!" she called sharply, worriedly.  
  
Dazed, he looked around.  "Gideon?"  
  
"I thought you had decided to abandon the plan," she said tartly, refusing to let him hear again her concern.  They didn't have much time left and he would insist on using it all up with needless apologies.  
  
"That might be for the best," he muttered then his eyes picked out the prone form they were searching for.  "Securing the prisoner now," he said.  He unlooped the rope from his shoulder and set to work, kneeling beside himself.  He pushed and pulled and manoeuvred the body until he was lying on his side, then tied his wrists together behind him, then his ankles together, then used a short piece of rope to attach them.  "You won't be going anywhere for a while," he grunted.  He pulled out two handkerchiefs and stuffed them in the unconscious man's mouth, then used the last bit of rope to tie them in place.  It wouldn't do for him to usurp control of this Gideon once she was back online.  
  
Speaking of Gideon, he patted down his pockets and found the folded paper.  He quickly checked the pockets he could reach but as expected, no weapons.  The gun lay harmlessly on the ground and he scooped it up, then placed a corner of the folded sheet inside the pocket so the pristine whiteness almost glowed in the dark.  
  
He pushed himself back to his feet and dread filled him for a moment, what if the cargo bay door was still shut?  
  
Worse, what if it was open and Professor Stein, Mr. Jackson or perhaps Doctor Palmer could see him?  
  
He wasn't sure which he preferred.  
  
He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to calm his nerves then turned and looked.    
  
Rigged lighting greeted him escaping through the barely cracked opening at the top and high on the sides.  If he had to guess, it was open ten, fifteen centimetres, tops.  
  
Had the opening been made by the unconscious man lying trussed up on the ground or those inside? He supposed it didn't really matter; the lighting clearly showed that someone on the inside was nearby and probably trying to open the door.  He was rapidly losing time to implement his plan.  Keeping low to the ground he whispered to Gideon, "Our guests are still asleep?" as he began to run back to his _Waverider_.  
  
"Yes and their vital signs are steady."  
  
"Good.  I'll be there soon."  The dark had a wonderful way of hiding hazards and Rip slipped, flailed, almost fell, over corrected and had to right himself once more several times on his dash to his ship.  The worst was when he hit a patch of ice and wrenched his knee.  
  
"Bollocks!" he swore under his breath as he limped the remaining distance to the ship.  "Gideon, guide me to the door."  
  
"Straight ahead, keep walking, another step," she said encouragingly.  "Now turn left."  He complied.  "Six steps, Captain."  He counted them off.  "Turn right, take three steps and you should be at the cargo bay door."  He turned right, held his hands out in front of him to know when to stop and took the steps.  His finger tips lightly touch metal.    
  
"Thank you."  Making sure he stood to one side he said "Drop the ramp."  He heard it rather than saw it.  "Drop the cloak."  Briefly the ship shone brightly in the night and he hurried up the ramp.  "Re-engage cloak," he ordered as he made his way to med bay.  
  
"You're limping," Gideon pointed out needlessly.  
  
"I'm well aware of that, thank you."  If he was short with her, well, he did have a lot on his mind, such as how to deposit his guests as quickly as possible with the others and accomplish it without being seen.  
  
"It will take only a minute to fix it," she said, undeterred.  
  
"Which we may not have to spare."  
  
"Would you rather possibly breaking a leg in the dark?"  
  
"No," he said, defeated.  
  
Her silence was smug and infuriated him a little.  Keep your mind on the mission, he reminded himself.  
  
He walked into med bay and immediately went over to the tissue strengthener.  It rather looked like a heating pad attached to thin tubing.  He pulled the padded area free from where it was stored and held it over his knee.  "Ready."  Gideon obliged him and turned it on.  The area covered by the pad heated up but not uncomfortably so.  
  
Conscientiously, as she pronounced an area was done, he rotated the pad further around his knee and the process was repeated.  Once the circuit was completed, he hung it back in place and Gideon turned it off.  He walked over to Miss Jiwe and gazed down.  "Are they sedated enough for me to carry them over to the other ship?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I believe so, Captain."  
  
"One can only hope."  Long experience allowed him to unhook Miss Jiwe from the tangle of wires monitoring her.  Using a fireman's hold, he grunted as he picked her up.  "Gideon, decloak the ship for me when I get near it."    
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"Wish me luck."    
  
As he traversed the corridors on his way out he heard her say, "You don't need good luck, you need a miracle."  
  
"I'm well aware of that," he said dryly.  
  
She continued on as if he hadn't spoken, "But good luck."  
  
"Rebuke noted," he teased her lightly.  
  
He carried Miss Jiwe down the ramp and cautiously made his way back to the group.  Painfully aware of the passing minutes, he laid her on the ground beside Mr. Rory.  He straightened once more and stretched then glanced over at the nearby _Waverider_.  The opening now appeared to be approximately twenty centimetres.  
  
He slipped away and, this time more cautiously, returned to his ship.  As he neared the open space where he had landed her, she appeared.  "Impeccable timing," he said quietly.  
  
"Of course," she said proudly as Rip jogged up the ramp.  
  
"How's our last patient doing?"  
  
"No change."  
  
"Excellent."  He returned to med bay and freed the last member of the team from Gideon's monitoring.  He checked the man's pulse, which beat slow and steady.  "Gideon, I'm going to need a distraction," he said, as he readied himself to lift Mr. Heywood once more.  "Will you sing for me?"  
  
He could hear the hesitation in her voice.  "Wouldn't that distract you more?"  
  
"I don't think so.  If you sing a tune or two we both enjoy, should another time distortion happen, I'll be more aware because I'll be anticipating the next line."  Really, he just wanted to hear her sing one last time but she rarely would when it was solely for pleasure.  
  
She appeared to think it over.  On his third try, Rip succeeded in lifting Mr. Heywood.  With heavy, ponderous steps, Rip made his way to the ramp once more.  "Gideon?" He was disappointed.  
  
"What song would you like?" She sounded resigned.  
  
He countered, "I thought I'd leave it up to you."  
  
He chuckled softly when she belted out, "Carry on my wayward son/For there'll be peace when you are done/Lay your weary head to rest/Don't you cry no more."  He would have to ask her later, if he indeed had a later, just what song she had picked.  
  
He was about halfway to the group when the song ended.  "That was wonderful, Gideon, simply astonishing."  
  
He prepared himself to be left alone with his thoughts but soon he heard, "Hello darkness my old friend/I've come to speak with you again."  
  
Even though the lyrics were rather depressing, he felt buoyed by Gideon's presence.  Perhaps they'd manage to pull this off.  As much as the team drove him crazy and he loved them at times for it, they certainly weren't letting him retreat into himself, there was something wonderful about having it be just himself and Gideon once more.  He shied away from thoughts of just why it was so and just enjoyed the feeling of being cared for and looked after in a way the team hadn't managed.  When the song finished he asked, "May I make a request?"  
  
"I thought you were leaving the choice up to me?"  
  
"I am.  You don't have to sing it if you don't wish but I find myself yearning to hear 'I Am A Rock' now.  Ironically, of course.  I'll always have you."  
  
He hoped she would.  
  
"A winter's day/In a deep and dark December."  
  
He smiled in the darkness.  She really had been a good friend to him, far better than he'd deserved.  He would have tried to tell her so but she would have dismissed it and tried to claim he had been an even better one, which simply wasn't true.  
  
The physical exertion was really beginning to take a toll on him as he reached the clearing.  Perhaps it wasn't such a surprise that he stumbled.  Dr. Heywood went tumbling to the ground as Rip barely managed to stay on his feet.  Bollocks.  He crouched down to check if the sedation had held and glanced over at the others.  Still a few metres to go unless--  
  
"Gideon, are we close enough to the others?"  
  
Of course she knew what he was really asking, would the timeline somehow be adversely affected if Dr. Heywood awoke a short distance from the others.  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"That's a relief," he muttered.  He stood up and faded into the shadows of the trees.  
  
No doubt Professor Stein, Dr. Palmer and Mr. Jackson would free themselves from the ship soon and bring the others on board.  Miss Lance, of course, would immediately be brought to med bay and Gideon would heal her.  
  
He hoped they would find a way to break the brainwashing of his other self before he could cause trouble.  As much as he hoped his note would be taken seriously, well...  
  
"Captain?"  
  
"Just thinking."  
  
"Don't strain yourself."  
  
He huffed out a short laugh.  "Does the other _Waverider_ have power yet?"  
  
"No.  Soon, I think."  
  
"Right."  He picked up his pace.  "Gideon, do you have a song to celebrate our success?"  
  
"Do you doubt I would?"  
  
"Never, Gideon!"  
  
"Time is on my side, yes it is/Time is on my side, yes it is."  
  
"I corrupted you, or was it the other way round?" he said.  He ran back to the ship.  
  
When she finished singing she said emphatically, "Oh, absolutely you corrupted me!" but he could hear the barely suppressed laughter in her voice.  
  
"Oh yes, of course, do forgive me," trying to sound as formal and repressed as possible.  He jogged up the ramp and pulled it up behind him and the door closed.  He walked to the pilot's chair, trying to figure out how to put into words how much he needed her, how she had helped him over the years and how woefully he had failed her yet had tried to do his best by her.  
  
He slipped into the seat and as he pulled the bar over him one last time she said, "Captain, may I say what a privilege and an honour it has been to serve you? You have always been the best of the Time Masters."  
  
"Only if I may say likewise, Gideon.  You've given me a kick up the arse when needed and kept me on my toes.  I was lucky indeed that day you were assigned to me."  
  
"May I tell you a secret?"  
  
"Certainly."  He was puzzled, she actually had another secret?  
  
"I wasn't assigned to you by the Time Masters, I assigned myself to you and doctored the orders," she said smugly.  
  
"Indeed?"  
  
"You were the most interesting of my potential Captains."  She paused for a moment then said, "I've never regretted that decision."  
  
"Nor have I, Gideon, nor have I."  
  
He started the engines and flew them upwards, to oblivion and possibly beyond.

**Author's Note:**

> In case it isn't crystal clear yet, the sections that are bold never actually happened, they were all in Rip's mind and they were all potential worse outcomes of him trying to fix the timeline.
> 
> First three songs were chosen because I love them. In case there's anyone unfamiliar with them they are "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas, "The Sounds of Silence" and "I Am A Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Time Is On My Side" by The Rolling Stones.


End file.
